St Ninians nails, made by children

Child Labour

So let me begin with an apology ... some of you will recognise this picture. it features handmade 17th nails from Cowane’s Hospital that were probably made in St Ninians and I have written about them before.

I’ve returned to it because I was shocked to discover that boys as young as seven or eight worked in the trade and produced between 1000 and 1250 nails a day depending on how experienced they were.

Of the newly expanded workforce in the late 18th century industrial revolution it is estimated that roughly 25 per cent were children under seven. In the 1830s workplace inspections across Scotland recorded first hand accounts with these children.

In 1832 10-year-old William Carr who worked at Smith’s Woollen Mill in Cowane Street reported that he‘got sleepy in the evening and my feet get sore. Sometimes I have a cough, but I like the work well enough. I receive 10 shillings a month (The then average wage for a trained artisan was two shillings and sixpence a day) which I give to my mother but she allows me two pence or so. I have never been to school since I started work. None of the young ones go to school. I cannot write’.

Things seem to have been far worse down the mines. In 1842 12-year-old John Allan had worked the pits at Plean from the age of 10, he worked 12-13 hours a day struggling through flooded tunnels which by the time of the interview were above his knees.

All heartbreakingly awful.

Work for the under-14s was only banned in the 1930s and my own father left school at 15 in the 1960s.

Things are clearly better for our own children but ,of course, child labour still happens across the world and we should spare a thought for all those blighted lives.